Color is the reflection of light on the eye. The Sun is the source of all light. Actually, it is the light. In the absence of the Sun therefore, the color of all things revert to black. The principal colors are the Holy Black, Yellow and White of the sun, Green of virginity and productivity, Red of the blood and soul, Illusive Blue of the sky and sea, Cream of the moonlight, and Brown of the multi colored Earth. We are principally made of these colors because we reflect the universe which is in turn, a reflection of God. The Green vegetation is produced by the combined productivity of the moon, sun and earth, scientifically called photosynthesis. This Green vegetation is not merely a sign of productivity but actually core to our life’s sustenance. The cliché, ‘when the last tree dies, the last man dies’ is actually more literal than philosophical. This is because human beings actually inter breathe with the vegetation. In other words, we interchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the green vegetation. Thus, while we breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, the plants breathe in carbon dioxide and exhale to us the vital oxygen. More succinctly, it is the vegetation that freshens or replenishes the air we breathe after we pollute it. Secondly but equally important, virtually all foods we eat come from the green vegetation. Here again, the cliché ‘when the last tree dies the last man dies’ is true to the letter. The third essence of green is in protection and preservation of water. Whenever the vegetation around water bodies is destroyed, the water dries up. Thus water; another vitality of life cannot survive without the green. Even the ‘almighty’ sea has a great magnitude of green underneath. It is this same green that our Ancestors used in purifying water without any side effects before today’s synthetic puritants like chlorine from the Caucasian world. We all know the cost involved in this chlorine and its ilk, not to mention that of the mammoth and equally costing machines accompanying its process. We can now begin to understand the water crisis. The water crisis is not due to unavailability of water but rather, the abnormal cost of the current system of treatment and processing. It is sinful to be unappreciative of the free abundance of all things by Nature and consequently crave for a synthetic life. We are not against refinement. Refinement should seek to make life better and sustainable in quality and not focus on profit at the expense of the former. There is water beneath the land everywhere. Let us exploit it through filtered borehole mechanism! Green again is the symbolic color of virginity and productivity, our youth and our productivity! Ye mma bubu, ye daakye! In green as a banner color for the Black Nation therefore, glorification of our Creator in our collective endeavors was the principal consideration of our Ancestors. Every Black National should therefore have green as a symbolic banner of our roots! It is a betrayal of the Black Nation for anyone not to have Green as or among his/her banner colors! Every such African must be viewed with the suspicion of a traitor! From the above, it is clear that Green and Black are one and synonymous with each other. Whiles Green represents the pre birth, Black is that of the after birth. It is interesting however, that the Collins Shorter dictionary describes Green as “inexperienced” and “gullible”. Another representational color of the black moon is Cream. It is the color portrayed at full moon, appearing with the stars, (Nsoroma-Children of Above) also virtually in the same Cream color. Cream is therefore the glorification of the sun by the black moon. This Cream of the moon is a reflection of light from the sun. At critical analysis, it is realized that the Cream at full moons is a tint of white, yellow and green. It is the moon that guides us through the darkness. We should note that darkness is different from black. Whilst darkness is the lack of vision, black is the color from which all colors are extracted. In accordance with our heritage therefore, we should have Cream among our symbols of royalty, besides its beauty! One important color of our golden royal heritage is Yellow. Yellow is the color of our gold, a physical symbol of our royalty which has been the chief jealousy of our detractors since Kmt, Ancient Egypt, through Gold Coast to Modern Ghana. The Caucasian has been after Obuasi (literally meaning ‘stone under’) since the latter 1800’s not to mention the other versatile deposits of the southern belt of the country. It has been one of the core reasons for colonizing us. Any doubtful Thomas should take a look at the railway map of Ghana. Again why were the colonialists concentrated in the south of the Gold Coast? Does South Africa also ring a bell? We entreat every soul to read the history of Obuasi Gold Mines, now Anglo Gold Ashanti, especially its beginning. Biney, Brown and Ellis should turn in their grave with shame for their various contributions. We hand them over to the Ancestors! With admirable consistency, the Caucasians finally took Obuasi after one hundred years of envious and bloody pursuit! We should all bear a dent of shame for the loss of Obuasi. One way or the other, all of us, individually and collectively could have acted to stop the greed of our brethren and their masters. No one should tell us about the 17% share of Ghana. It’s amazing how some of our leaders are entrapped in the false beliefs of foreign investment as a panacea for economic growth. Over 95%of profit earned in the country by such foreign companies is repatriated to their home countries! Obuasi, very pathetically, reflects nothing but the opposite of its wealth. Of its impact on the country as a whole, only God knows. Let the consciousness sink in that there are generational blessings and curses, chains and links, generational umbilical cord. For that matter, the current generation should grasp the magnitude of the fight at hand and not be like the ostrich burying its head in the grass, thinking its whole body is safe from sight. We cannot shed our responsibility for we were just born for such a time! God has empowered us with all the accoutrements we need for the pending war, war to change the course of our current situation, the situation we are all mad about, and war of our destiny. There is no such time and opportunity as now. It may seem overwhelming only when we take a myopic stance. All it takes is personal conception and commitment to cure our sick life, God has done the healing. Anyone who refuses to flow with the process of the change can be sure of only one thing. The destruction of the outgoing evil system meant for the greedy brethren and their masters will not spare any obstacle in its path! Like the biblical Job after the tribulations, we have been blessed with a double portion of wealth, discovery of gold deposits in Northern Ghana and that of oil in our waters down south! Our leaders, for Kristo’s sake, dare not entertain any greedy motives over this new divine treasure. Let every individual soul of the Holy Land own a piece of the national cake. Simply float shares for all Ghanaians both in and outside Ghana. If there is deficit for the capital needed after, again float the shares for Ghanaian companies. The third round then must open for Africans before coming to agreement between the government and the companies with technical expertise. Dividends will then be periodically ‘felt’ in everyone’s accounts. Sadly, this warning may be late by the time of publication. Newmont has already cleared a stupendous acreage of green forest in the Brong Ahafo Region north of Ashanti, fishing for the royal metal, our gold! The current calculated mission of the Caucasian to take over our water, electricity, gold, oil, and virtually all our treasures not only of Ghana, the new capital of the Black Nation, but that of the whole Africa. This disguise of foreign investments are all traits of the neo-colonialism Nkrumah, Kenyatta, Nyerere, Sekou Toure and other ancestors warned us about. Can anyone explain the massive structures of virtually all the western missions springing up in Accra, the Ghanaian capital? There has been a modification in approach of the neo-colonialist. Here and now, the historical role of most western churches is being played by most of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). That of the castles’ role is taken by most of the new structures of the embassies and high commissions. The African Unity vision and mission started by Nkrumah and the founding fathers cannot be stopped because it is a divine course. Hence the only way out is hijacking its control, thereby steering it to the contrary of African aspirations. Unless Africans re-take the spirit and control of the African unity mission, it will never be the vehicle to take us to the Promised Land. We should develop discerning eyes not only in the physical but more importantly in the unseen. Red simply symbolizes our blood. It induces passion in our endeavors for the attainment of our hopes and aspiration. Without passion, which is the intensity of our convictions, we will forever be in the wilderness. This is why red has become a universal symbol of danger because anybody or situation that is ‘Red’ is fully convicted of his objectives and therefore dangerous to cross path with. Until we come to such a ‘red’ state as a nation, our freedom will continue to elude us. In as much as we appreciate qualitative leadership, it is the redness of the masses that transforms a nation to its desired destiny. Let us fear not, for God has prepared and continues to prepare the leaders who will take us to the Promised Land. The first phase of the struggle (independence) was won not on a silver platter, but by the Red Blood and sweat of our fathers. The final phase cannot be won otherwise. Our Red should be on the sacrificial altar, knowing that NKUNIM (victory) is all but our mission. In other words, our collective nationalism for the deliverance of the Black Nation should be powered by our black spirit and body and a Red determination. No one else will do the job for us. It is our foremost responsibility. Let us lift our Redness to the heavens and we shall be resourced with all the energy needed for building the nation. We must begin to energize each other with the Holy Red Blood and like a single candle that lights a whole nation; our red will permeate every corner of the Holy Black Nation. In this state, we will become like the proverbial broom that cannot be broken when bound together but the slightest pressure breaks a single broom stick. It is only this red state that will bring the days when each is the brother’s keeper. This machine parading in the name of human rights and its parent, democracy should be tamed and modified into our Green Equation. Unless we infuse this democracy with morality and displace the greed of self which is sin, this system will lead us nowhere but certain destruction. Unless our Red, our Holy Red Blood becomes our sacrificial contribution, we will continue to be cowed into a state of fear, hopelessness and perpetual chaos. No one should underrate the power of one, for like a candle, which is all we need to light up the whole nation. In fact, our only fear should be that we are powerful beyond measure and that as we resolve to the point of the Red, the seemingly mountainous struggle for freedom and peace will evaporate. The Youth of the nation should especially consider this Red issue seriously. We are the current strength of the nation and until we are prepared to shed this Red, a guaranteed glorious tomorrow is impossible! Our fathers have finished their youthful task and it is their Red that brought us this far. Even though we are displeased with this current state of affairs, nothing will change unless we are ready to effect this change! Secondly, every nation is built on the energies of the youth and the wisdom of the old. We hereby call on our current youth that it is our time to contribute to the nation building. We should not, indeed can not disappoint our Nation! Let us face the Rising Sun of our new day began and march on till victory is won! The bell tolls for none but thee! We have no choice but to remain true to our nation and true to our God! Let us look now at Brown. Brown is the principal color of mother earth. We are children of Nature and must exhibit such. Inasmuch as we appreciate finesse and refinement, our natural rhythms should be allowed to flow with its purity. We must also be reminded that there can never be anything better than ‘natural’ finesse or refinement. Brown of the earth therefore is the epitome of beauty of nature both literally and philosophically. Brown comes in the equation of originality. Just look at brown sugar as unrefined sugar and its health implications. Health wise, white sugar should be the most untouchable product on the market. Brown rice is another example of natural finesse. The nutritious value of ever popular 'waakye' (a brown Rice meal) of northern Ghana cannot be over emphasized. Brown, by its very source, exudes the spirit of nature. It reminds us of our natural being and the need to maintain its accompanying beauty as such. The oneness of Brown and Green is demonstrated in trees as we know of the stem and leaves. It is also the Brown bark of these trees that our traditional healers source a lot of their herbal concoction for the health of our people. We should make a conscious use of herbal or traditional medicine. Orthodox medicine by its make up can develop into poison when a variety of them is combined in medicating a disease. We are witnesses to numerous such situations including that of a brother in–law. He died not of the sickness afflicting him, but of the prescribed variety of medication which metamorphosed into poison as the autopsy proved. He was resident in London, U.K. Thankfully, a degree program in herbal/traditional medicine has been commenced at KNUST. The condemnation of traditional herbal medicine on grounds of dosage is nothing more than propaganda. Doesn’t excess food come out as waste? In the extreme case of excess intake, one easily throws up or gets an instant dysentery since the body naturally rejects such excess intake be it food or medicine. In anyway, herbalist always directs dosage. We however admit that a lot needs to be done by way of packaging. Secondly and more importantly, the spiritual aspect of traditional medicine grants us total healing unlike orthodox medicine which simply cures the physical. In concluding this point, it is this same traditional medicine which made our forefathers more sexually potent than our generation. In fact, most of the ninety year olds in our villages are more sexually potent and generally healthier than the youth of our cities! Let us be critical in our analysis of life issues, discern and discard the brain washing and mis-education embedded in our educational system. Here, the total overhaul of our educational system is strongly advocated. We are not talking of lengthening or otherwise of school years, name changing nor changing school uniforms and materials but the substance of the content! We are talking about educational system that will make us conscious of both our spiritual and physical environments. How was it that there was more order in our society prior to this so called modern education? The fact that our traditional system of education may not have been formal does not mean there was no education. In fact, one only needs to tour areas in Africa least contaminated with this civilization and the amazement of a neater and orderly environment than Accra, capital of Ghana will knock you out. Not only is it evident in the physical environment but also in the fresh air against the polluted version of the cities! The stupendous filth, the dying water bodies and ever reducing greenery is but symbolic of our corrupted minds disguised as modern civility! Last but not least of the African colors is White. This is a very important color for us as a nation. White is usually synonymous with victory and purity. In purity, it can be equated with green as being virgin or fresh. Illusive Blue, the color of the Caucasian world, seemingly the dominating color in the world is worth a few comments. First of all, we find blue in the ubiquitous sky and the all embracing sea. This is the greatest illusion in nature! When one finally moves to the sky, the seeming blue vanishes into a colorless expanse. The same mirage is of the sea. When one actually gets to the sea water, it is the same colorless color of water found elsewhere that emerges. Can this be interpreted to mean that this whole current civilization is but a mirage? From the African perspective where symbolism is everything, we need to be extremely cautious when dealing with institutions and organizations with the symbolic color of blue. We should also be mindful when choosing colors as symbols for our organizations. A glaring symbol of the above is the blue color of the New Patriotic Party, NPP. Guess the blue of the New Patriotic Party, same as the national colors of the west is worth a national analysis! We can now understand the hardcore capitalist and pro-western policies of the NPP causing unparalleled hardship on the masses! Blue is not an African color and therefore its symbolism is not African! The NPP has replaced the appointed chiefs the colonialists used in the era of Indirect Rule. It is also very interesting that both the Convention Peoples Party and the National Democratic Congress, founded by Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry Rawlings respectively, which have been core Pan-Africanists and Socialists in character, have Green as their principal color! (Green, white and red for the CPP and green, white, red and black for the NDC) Remember independence now from Kwame Nkrumah and its opposition from the UP, parents of the NPP! We are not saying there is no color of blue in nature but the Blue in the sky and sea are ILLUSIONS. Scientifically and artistically, Green is made of Blue and Yellow. In relation to Green therefore, Blue is an incomplete color! In concluding the discourse on blue, it is worthy of note that the Collins Shorter dictionary and thesaurus describes blue as “depressed” and “indecent”. Blue however, is a cool color as the blue sky and refreshing expanse of the water in the sea portrays. The background to colors alone should commit all people of color to The Green Equation. Let The Healing Now Begin as The Holy Children Fly The Green Banners…. NKUNIM WO HO MAYEN!! Credit: Yaw Nkunim [nkunim@yawnkunim.com AND gbiney@yahoo.co.uk.]